He said he and his son had joked about what would happen if a shark came up to them shortly before the shark clamped down on his leg.

Myers said he knew right away he had to get to shore.

“There was really one option,” he said.

During his swim to shore, Myers says he didn’t feel any pain. At one point, he began to feel dizzy, but kept swimming.

“Perhaps it’s just the adrenaline that kicks in, but we didn’t feel scared and I didn’t feel pain. I didn’t feel pain until about an hour and a half later in the ambulance,” he said.

Myers made it to shore, where several onlookers rushed to help. He suffered deep puncture wounds, severed tendons, and needed 47 stitches. He is grateful for all their help, and ultimately to be alive.

“I’m feeling very pleased to be here, and walking,” he said of the ordeal.

Myers admits he had no idea that there were sharks in the area and says he would have thought twice had he been aware.

“Maybe I was the last person not to have heard that there were sharks off of Cape Cod, but I hadn’t heard that. If I had, I probably would have… been more careful,” he said. “We were told afterward that there had been a seal – something else I wish I had noticed.”

Myers, who lives in Denver but grew up in Boston, says the incident won’t keep him away from the beach.

“It’s my favorite beach in the world. I’m sure I’ll be back. I’m sure I’ll be back swimming. I think I’ll stay a little closer to shore,” he said.